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Thread: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

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    Senior Member guyy's Avatar
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    Default Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Surf green on the right, Caribbean green on the left. The Caribbean green looks much more blue when seen with the surf green. It looks more green on its own.


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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Thank you Guy for this comparison. Although I have these pens in my collection, I never was sure about the color naming. I was always looking for the (missing) Vista Blue, until I found out that carribean green of Parker 61 is almost the same color as vista blue of later Parker "51" Mk III. So my guess is that Vista Blue and Surf Green are identical colors, at least on Parker 61. Can you confirm that, or do you have a Vista Blue 61 as well?
    Last edited by christof; October 11th, 2021 at 01:26 PM.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    I don’t have a Vista Blue here. From the pictures i’ve seen online, the Vista Blue is a lighter color than the Caribbean green and also lacks the green tinge of Caribbean green. Vista Blue was available for the entirety of the 61’s production. Caribbean green replaced surf green in 1959 and had a ten year run.

    Supposedly Caribbean green is the same as the 51 teal. I think that may be true for some teal 51s. I don’t think it’s always true.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    double

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Thank you. my P „51“ teal is much darker than my P61 carribean green.

    I will take a picture too of what I have here.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    That would be great. Your pictures are superb.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    I found this group shot of 61:



    with the three blueish tones in the middle of which I was thinking they were (from left to the rigth) Surf Green, Carribean Green and Teal Blue.

    I also have this group shot of Parker "51" Mk III



    the third from the left is Teal Blue (which is identical to the Parker 61 Teal Blue) and the fourth from left is Vista Blue (which is, laying side by side nearly identical to the Carribean Green Parker 61)

    Tonight, I will try to make a side by side picture of all the blue and green tones.

    PS: according to Richard Binder, there is no Teal Blue Parker 61 and Carribean Green looks again different of what I have seen until now:

    http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/61.htm

    strange thing...
    Last edited by christof; October 12th, 2021 at 12:24 AM.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Nice collection Christof. The MKIII was my first I'd love to add a few more.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Forgive my ignorance, but did P61s come in different sizes or is it an optical illusion in the photo?

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    from 1962, Parker 61 had about 2mm shorter caps. the lenght of the barrel was identical.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    here's the promised side by side picture:

    Teal-,Surf-, and Vistablue by C.M.Z, auf Flickr

    from let to rigth:

    - Parker "51" Mk III, Teal Blue
    - Parker 61, Teal Blue (?)
    - Parker 61, Surf Green
    - Parker 61, Vista Blue (?)
    - Parker "51" Mk III, Vista Blue

    Would be happy about any comment/correction.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    For what is worth............

    An example of a USA Surf Green & Caribbean Green

    Both are P61C, there are physical differences from manufacture

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    christof (October 12th, 2021)

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Quote Originally Posted by proteus View Post
    For what is worth............

    An example of a USA Surf Green & Caribbean Green

    Both are P61C, there are physical differences from manufacture
    They look the same to me.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Quote Originally Posted by proteus View Post
    For what is worth............

    An example of a USA Surf Green & Caribbean Green

    Both are P61C, there are physical differences from manufacture
    So your statement is that Carribean and Surf Green are identical. This is interesting but may I ask which source of information you are referring to? Do you have catalogs or other documents?

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    I had already feared that it would not go on here now.

    ...But I really would like to have finally answered this question about colors and names. bummer.

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    Oh, Caribbean green is very pretty!!!

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    Default Re: Parker 61 surf vs Caribbean green

    JoshuaL, they are so very rare to find..........

    If you look at my previous with a very close eye, you may notice that the barrel end ring on the right is wider than than one left.



    Whilst it is near impossible to photograph them both together to illustrate the colour, if you look at both in clear sunlight, Caribbean Green is about 4/5 colour hues lighter.

    Most of the informed here will say, that is batch colour difference.

    Not so, they are physically different - breather hole placement for one....etc

    Is a complex area of research, I have no desire to discuss here.



    Has anyone ever seen a USA Mk II Surf Green ?

    Never managed to find a Mk 1 Surf Green with the mythical rainbow cap in Green / Pink.
    They appear not be prototypes.


    christof has outstanding images of three of P61 rainbow cap variants, there are in fact 5 different types.

    Of the images shown, the first one is mine, the other two are from a good friend of mine - the images are not colour balanced - they are not Vista Blue
    Last edited by proteus; November 2nd, 2021 at 03:13 PM.

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